Twilight series is top winner at National Movie Awards

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson star in the vampire series Twilight

The Twilight series of films has picked up three trophies at the National Movie Awards in London.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon took the prize for best fantasy movie and Robert Pattinson scooped best performance for his role as Edward Cullen in the film.

Eclipse - the next instalment in the vampire saga - was named this year's most anticipated film.

Harry Potter won two awards and Tom Cruise took the screen icon honour at the Royal Festival Hall ceremony.

Gwyneth Paltrow presented Cruise with the trophy.

"For over two decades he has shown a bold eagerness to take risks, engaging and enthralling audiences," she said.

'Like a kid'

On accepting his trophy Cruise, who attended the event with wife Katie Holmes, said: "It's a real honour for me to be here tonight.

"This great city of London. This great country England. I've made several films here. I have been fortunate."

He added: "I guess as a film maker the most important thing to me is you.

"If I have entertained you at all, I thank you. Thank you for allowing me to do so."

After the ceremony, Cruise was asked if he was still hungry to make films after such a long career.

"Yeah I am. I never tire of it. I feel like a kid working on them," he said.

Cruise's action comedy Knight and Day, out in the UK in July, sees him reunited with Cameron Diaz for the first time since 2001's Vanilla Sky.

"Working with Cameron was incredible. She's been a great friend. She's an incredible comedienne so we had a lot of fun with that," he said.

Cruise is also working on Mission: Impossible IV, due out at the end of 2011.

'Incredible honour'

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince was named the best family film, beating Nanny McPhee & The Big Bang and computer animated movie Up.

Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson picked up the trophy.

Radcliffe, who apologised for the absence of his co-star Rupert Grint due to sickness, said: "It's fantastic for us, six films in with two more to go, to still be getting this kind of recognition."

Watson added: "This is such an incredible honour. It's so wonderful that you still love these films. We still love making them."

The Harry Potter series was also presented with the special recognition award, which Kylie Minogue handed over to the stars.

The film series, which is based on JK Rowling's books, will come to a conclusion once the last two movies have been made.

"It might be the beginning of the end," Minogue said.

"But Harry Potter will remain in our hearts forever."

Producer David Heyman paid tribute to Rowling

"On behalf of the Harry Potter family I'd like to thank Jo Rowling for giving us the books. Without her we wouldn't be here," he said.

An emotional Watson said: "There will be a huge hole in my heart when it's over."

Some of the crowd booed when it was announced that Pattinson was unable to attend the event due to filming commitments.

But in a video message played out, the actor said: "It means a lot to me because you the fans decided the winner. Thanks for voting for me."

'Throwing tomatoes'

Actor Peter Facinelli, who plays Dr Carlisle Cullen in Twilight, picked up the film's other two gongs.

Twilight fans had given Facinelli a noisy welcome as he arrived at the venue.

He told the BBC afterwards: "I'm always very happily overwhelmed by the response that I get with this movie.

"I really didn't expect that kind of a reaction on the red carpet tonight. It's a little nerve-wracking hearing your name screamed over and over, but I guess it's better than them throwing tomatoes."

The Time Traveler's Wife was named breakthrough movie, beating off competition from Coco Before Chanel, Harry Brown, Nativity!, Paranormal Activity and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes took the first trophy of the night, which was named best action and thriller.

"We said no to the Oscar but we'll say yes to this because the public voted for it," he said.

The awards, which are voted for by the public, was hosted by former Cold Feet star James Nesbitt.

Other stars who attended the ceremony included Diane Kruger, Dominic Cooper, James Corden, Martin Freeman, Simon Pegg and Noel Clarke.